Ministry of Defence

HMS Prince of Wales: Repairs and Maintenance

Lord West of Spithead: To ask His Majesty's Government when HMS Prince of Wales will be operational and at sea again.

Baroness Goldie: We remain committed to ensuring HMS Prince of Wales commences her operational programme, as planned, in autumn 2023. This will include operational flying training and trials.

HMS Prince of Wales: Repairs and Maintenance

Lord Lee of Trafford: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Goldie on 1 February (HL4865),whether they have now established the cost of therepairs to HMS Prince of Wales; who is expected to pay those costs; and what is their current estimate ofthe date on which HMS Prince of Wales will return to active service.

Baroness Goldie: We remain committed to ensuring HMS Prince of Wales (PWLS) commences her operational programme, as planned, in Autumn 2023. This will include operational flying training and trials.During this period the focus has been on achieving repairs whilst maximising opportunities for capability upgrades to ensure PWLS is prepared to become the UK Very High Readiness Strike Carrier in 2024. These upgrades have been conducted in parallel to ensure efficiency and value for money.The estimated cost of repairs are expected to be approximately £25 million, however responsibility for payment has not yet been established therefore it would be inappropriate to comment further.

HMS Prince of Wales: Repairs and Maintenance

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the cost of repairing HMS Prince of Wales; how long it is expected to remain in dry dock; and how much of the cost will be borne byeach of themembers of the Aircraft Carrier Alliance.

Baroness Goldie: We remain committed to ensuring HMS Prince of Wales (PWLS) commences her operational programme, as planned, in autumn 2023. This will include operational flying training and trials.During this period the focus has been on achieving repairs whilst maximising opportunities for capability upgrades to ensure PWLS is prepared to become the UK Very High Readiness Strike Carrier in 2024. These upgrades have been conducted in parallel to ensure efficiency and value for money.The estimated cost of repairs are expected to be approximately £25 million, however responsibility for payment has not yet been established therefore it would be inappropriate to comment further.

Department for Work and Pensions

State Retirement Pensions: Telephone Services

Lord Truscott: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byViscount Younger of Leckie on 16 March (HL6171), even allowing for waiting times for the Future Pension Centrehaving been higher than expected, why calls from the public remain unanswered.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The DWP Futures Pension Centre helpline has experienced unprecedented levels of contact from customers considering whether to pay voluntary National Insurance Contributions (VNICS) before the deadline due to recent media publicity. To alleviate customer concerns about meeting the deadline for paying VNIC’s, HM Revenue & Customs has announced it will extend the deadline to pay these contributions until 31 July 2023. DWP have also provided additional resource directed to the telephony lines and will continue to review resourcing options to meet the current call demand.

Universal Credit

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the statement in the Spring Budget 2023 factsheet – Labour Market Measures that over 700,000 lead carers of children in receipt of Universal Credit will be made to look for work or increase the number of hours they work, what is their estimate of how this number will be broken down by (1) age of youngest child, and (2) by lone parent/other; and what additional work-related requirements will be applied to such claimants.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The information requested is provided in the tables below. 1) Estimate of the proportion of lead carers broken down by age of youngest child Age of youngest childProportion114%212%311%49%510%69%78%87%96%106%115%124% 2) Estimate of the proportion of lead carers broken down by family type Family TypeProportionSingle, with children70%Couple, with children30% Caveats & Data Definitions:We do not hold data that explicitly identifies lead carers, as a result, figures are estimated assuming that if one member of the household has age of youngest child as required, and is in the relevant conditionality regime, then they are a “lead carer”.Universal Credit conditionality regimes included are Intensive Work Search, Working with requirements, Planning for work and Preparing for workBased on average volumes 2022/23Based on internal Universal Credit Household dataset   Lead carers of children aged 1-2 will be required to have regular work focussed conversations with a dedicated Jobcentre work coach more often. For lead carers of children aged 2, work coaches can offer claimants more support with work preparation activities such as, job readiness workshops; help with developing a CV; practicing interviewing skills; skills assessment; participating in training or employment programme. Lead carers of children aged 3-12 will be supported by their work coach to increase their work search and preparation activity and will be required to be available for higher paid or longer hours jobs to align with Department for Education’s 30hr free childcare offer. Work search activities could include carrying out work searches, making job applications and creating and maintaining online job profiles. The requirements will be tailored to a claimant’s circumstances (e.g., location of job, claimant eligibility for free childcare provision, availability and location of childcare provision, and transport).

Social Security Benefits: Disability

Baroness Adams of Craigielea: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that those with disabilities are in receipt of benefits that they are entitled to receive.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The Government makes information on benefits widely available to all those who may wish to claim, including disabled people and people with health conditions, through a variety of channels including GOV.UK. In addition, information is available from a wide range of other sources, including organisations and charities, who provide advice and support. The DWP continually seeks to improve the information it makes available to encourage people to claim the benefits they may be entitled to.

Carer's Allowance

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have commissioned research on people’s experiences of claiming and receiving Carer’s Allowance; if so, whether they will publish this research; and if so, when.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The department commissioned research on experiences of claiming and receiving Carer’s Allowance; and is reviewing the research results as part of our wider policy development and thinking around Carer’s Allowance. We need to ensure that policy makers and Ministers are able to do so based on the evidence and without fear of premature disclosure. Therefore, we will not publish the report while this process is ongoing. If Ministers decide to publish its findings, they will be made available to Parliament and online.

Department for Education

Pupils: Foreign Nationals

Lord Mann: To ask His Majesty's Government how many newly settled children from overseas have not been able to immediately take up allocated school places due to pressures on school numbers in the past year.

Baroness Barran: Individual local authorities are under a duty to ensure that children in their areas are receiving a suitable education. We do not routinely collect data on the nationality of children whose parents are seeking school places. However, because of the high levels of migration from the beginning of 2022, the department did conduct a monthly survey of school placements for children from outside the UK between May and September 2022 to obtain better data on school place pressures. The data is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-placements-for-children-from-outside-of-the-uk.

Pre-school Education: Qualifications

Lord Blunkett: To ask His Majesty's Government how many students aged 16 to 19 are currently studying for Early Years qualifications.

Baroness Barran: During the 2021/22 academic year, the latest year of available data, there were 28,100 students aged 16 to 19 studying Early Years qualifications. This included 27,400 learners studying Early Years qualifications at English further education (FE) providers, and 700 full-person-equivalent entrants to Early Years subject areas at higher education (HE) level at English HE providers.For FE, Early Years qualifications were defined as those on the ‘Early Years qualifications achieved in the United Kingdom’ published list, which is attached. For HE, Early Years subjects were defined as HECOS codes ‘100463 early years education’ and ‘100510 early years teaching’.Early Years Qualifications Table (xls, 152.5KB)

Financial Services: Education

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps theyare taking to promote financial literacy in schools.

Baroness Barran: Education on financial matters helps to ensure that young people are prepared to manage their money well, make sound financial decisions and know where to seek further information when needed.Finance education forms part of the citizenship National Curriculum, at Key Stages 3 and 4, but can be taught by all schools at all Key Stages. The subject covers the functions and uses of money, the importance of personal budgeting, money management, and managing financial risk. At secondary school, pupils are taught about income and expenditure, credit and debt, insurance, savings and pensions, financial products and services, and how public money is raised and spent.The mathematics curriculum includes a strong emphasis on the essential arithmetic that primary pupils should be taught. A strong grasp of mathematics will underpin pupils’ ability to manage budgets and money, including, for example, using percentages. The secondary mathematics curriculum develops pupils’ understanding in relation to more complex personal finance issues such as calculating loan repayments, interest rates and compound interest.My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, has set out a new mission to ensure all pupils study some form of mathematics to 18. Studying mathematics to 18 will equip young people with the quantitative and statistical skills that they will need for the jobs of today and the future. This includes having the knowledge to feel confident with finances in later life, including things like finding the best mortgage deal or savings rate.The Department works with the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) and HM Treasury to support the effective teaching of financial education. MaPS has published financial education guidance for primary and secondary schools, and we will deliver a series of webinars in due course. The MaPS financial education guidance for primary and secondary schools can be found in the attached documents.MaPS Primary school financial education (pdf, 912.2KB)MaPS Secondary school financial education (pdf, 824.1KB)

Pupils: Absenteeism

Lord Mann: To ask His Majesty's Government how many school childrenin England have had an unauthorised school absence in each of the past five years.

Lord Mann: To ask His Majesty's Government how many children in England are currently not attending school regularly due to unauthorised absences.

Baroness Barran: Schools are required to record in the register once in the morning session and once in the afternoon session whether or not a pupil is absent.The attached table below shows the number of pupil enrolments in England with one or more sessions of unauthorised absence by academic year.In the 2021/22 academic year, 366,042 pupil enrolments missed 10% or more of possible sessions due to unauthorised absence. This figure covers state-funded primary, state-funded secondary and special schools in England.Unauthorised absence includes pupils who arrived late (after registration has closed), unauthorised holidays, reason for absence not yet provided, and other unauthorised absence.The data used in this answer are published in the National Statistics release on pupil absence in schools in England, available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/pupil-absence-in-schools-in-england.HL6690_HL6691_table (xlsx, 13.7KB)

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Mobile Phones

Baroness Altmann: To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the proportion of people in the UK that do not own a smartphone in each of the following age ranges:(1) 18–24, (2) 25–44, (3) 45–64, (4) 65–74, (5) 75–84, and (6) 85and above.

Baroness Altmann: To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the proportion of people in the UK who have no internet or Wi-Fi access in the following age groups: (1) 20–39, (2) 40–59, (3) 60–79, and (4) 80 and above.

Viscount Camrose: Data on smartphone use, Wi-Fi and internet access is collected by the Office of Communications and the Office for National Statistics.According to Ofcom data, in 2020, the vast majority (85%) of all adults used a smartphone. This rose to more than nine in ten for those aged 16-54. Use was lower for those aged 65+ (55%), who were more likely than average (29%) to use a mobile device that wasn’t a smartphone. The smartphone was the device most likely to be used by people to go online; 85% of internet users used it for this purpose. Older internet users, aged 65+, were less likely to go online via most devices asked about, and in particular, they were less likely to have adopted smart technology, such as a smartphone.ONS data indicates that 92% of adults in the UK were recent internet users in 2020, up from 91% in 2019. Almost all adults aged 16 to 44 years in the UK were recent internet users (99%), compared with 54% of adults aged 75 years and over. While there has been little change in internet use for adults aged 16 to 44 years in recent years, the proportion of those aged 75 years and over who are recent internet users nearly doubled since 2013, from 29%, to 54% in 2020. 6.3% of adults in the UK had never used the internet in 2020, down from 7.5% in 2019.

Voice Over Internet Protocol

Lord Clement-Jones: To ask His Majesty's Government, furtherto the resumption by BT of the rollout of Digital Voice, what assessment theyhave made of the (1) timing, and (2) nature, of communication of the copper switch off.

Lord Clement-Jones: To ask His Majesty's Government, further tothe resumption by BT of the rollout of Digital Voice, whatassessment they have made of the process for deciding the priority for areas for the copper switch off.

Viscount Camrose: BT’s Digital Voice rollout relates to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) migration. The PSTN is a privately-owned network and the upgrade to digital voice services is an industry-led process. Consumers will be migrated to digital voice services by 2025. We remain engaged with Communications Providers including BT to monitor their migration processes. We want to ensure that consumers including the most vulnerable are protected and prepared for the upgrade.Copper switch off, or the retirement of fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC) broadband services, is a separate process. Ofcom, the UK’s telecommunications regulator, will monitor and oversee the withdrawal of copper services. FTTC broadband services will continue to operate after the PSTN has been replaced.In Volume Three of Ofcom’s Wholesale Fixed Telecoms Market Review 2021-26 (WFTMR), it set out some criteria by which it will allow Openreach to decommission the copper-based network in future, however Ofcom has also decided it is currently too early in the migration process to define the conditions that will trigger the complete deregulation of the copper network. Ofcom will set out further details on this process in the next market review period.

Cybersecurity

Lord Harris of Haringey: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of current statutory cyber and digital risk reporting requirements.

Viscount Camrose: Reporting of cyber and digital risks and incidents is critical to the UK’s cyber resilience, supporting our ability to monitor, mitigate, and respond to threats to our economy and society. Reporting is also important in helping businesses and organisations adequately understand the broader threat and assess the risks to their own operations.Statutory incident reporting requirements vary across sectors, depending on the applicable legislation. For example, organisations which process personal data for general purposes must comply with the breach reporting requirements in the UK GDPR. In the telecoms sector, the Telecommunications (Security) Act introduced a new telecoms security framework, and includes detailed requirements for public telecoms providers to identify and reduce the risks of security compromises, including cyber attacks.Organisations which provide services that are critical for the provision of essential services (such as transport, energy, water, health, and digital infrastructure services) must comply with the Network and Information Systems (NIS) Regulations 2018. In November 2022 the government also announced its intention to strengthen the NIS Regulations, including requiring essential and digital services to report a wider range of cyber incidents to regulators.

Broadband: Rural Areas

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Parkinson of Whitley Bay on 9 February (HL4988), how many rural premises have 4G coverage from more than one operator; and what assessment they have made of (1) consumer choice, and (2) higher costs, for broadband users in rural areas.

Viscount Camrose: Ofcom publishes 4G coverage data in its Connected Nations Report. As of September 2022, 4,544,995 (99%) rural premises have outdoor 4G premises coverage from at least one mobile network operator (MNO), with 4,042,465 (88%) having coverage from all 4 MNOs. The Shared Rural Network programme will help provide 4G coverage to 280,000 rural premises and provide consumers with more choice of provider.Geographically differentiated pricing is not allowed in the UK. Internet Service Providers should therefore not charge differential prices to consumers in rural locations and Ofcom has prohibited Openreach from introducing geographical pricing on its network. Ofcom’s Connected Nation report also shows that 97% of UK homes have access to superfast broadband with gigabit capable infrastructure services available to 70% of premises - which means consumers have a choice of services depending on their area.

Space Debris

Lord Cromwell: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to engage with the concerns of NASA and scientists around the world regarding the increasing risk posed by space junk.

Viscount Camrose: The Government is taking action to deliver on the Plan for Space Sustainability announced last year to help ensure a safe, secure, and sustainable space environment. This includes plans for regulatory reform, supporting the development of an industry-led Space Sustainability Mark, and building sustainable capabilities in the UK including Active Debris Removal and In-Orbit Servicing and Manufacturing missions. The Government engages extensively in international and scientific fora such as the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, and the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee to tackle the issue of the increasingly contested and congested space environment.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Falkland Islands: Fossil Fuels

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to work with the government of the Falkland Islands to complete an emissions inventory for any potential future fossil fuel development there.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: As a self-governing Overseas Territory, economic development, including the development and exploitation of hydrocarbons, is a matter for the Falkland Islands Government, in accordance with all relevant laws. The UK Government supports the right of the Falkland Islanders to develop their natural resources for their own economic benefit. This is an integral part of their right of self-determination. The UK Government is working closely with the Falkland Islands Government to support their right to develop its hydrocarbons resources and we are ready to offer UK expertise on how to mitigate environmental impacts, including emissions.

Windsor Framework

Lord Balfe: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 16 March (HL6104), when the next meeting of the UK–EU Joint Committee will take place; when and where thedetails and costs of the new arrangements will be set out; and whether a fuller answer to HL6104 in the first instance would have avoided the additional cost of answering this supplementary question.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Joint Committee met on Friday 24 March. We will set out details of the next Joint Committee meeting to Parliament in the usual way. Following the 24 March meeting at which the Windsor Framework was adopted, the Government will continue work to give it effect in domestic law as required. We will set out further details of those arrangements and their costs in due course as that work continues.

Saudi Arabia: Capital Punishment

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they will make to the government of Saudi Arabia regarding the increased use of the death penalty in that country, particularly for non-lethal and political acts; and what plans they have, if any, to restrict the sale of arms and military technology in response.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Saudi Arabia remains a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office human rights priority country, in part because of the increased use of the death penalty. I [Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon] regularly raise the death penalty with the Saudi authorities, most recently on 11 March and during my visit to Saudi Arabia in February.The UK Government takes its strategic export control responsibilities very seriously. We will not grant export licences if to do so would be inconsistent with the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, including respect for human rights and international humanitarian law. All licences are kept under careful and continual review as standard.

Turkey: Politics and Government

Lord Hylton: To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Türkiye regarding its reported efforts to restrict opposition in that country.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are monitoring the run-up to the 2023 presidential and parliamentary elections in Turkey on May 14 and are in regular discussion with the Turkish electoral authorities, the government, opposition parties, civil society groups and the Turkish media. We have long encouraged Turkey to work towards the full protection of fundamental rights, particularly in the area of freedom of expression and assembly, which is essential to the long-term health of Turkish democracy. We have stressed the need for the elections to be carried out in a free and fair manner and will continue our dialogue with Turkey throughout the process.

Ukraine: Cereals

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to find alternative routes for the export of grain from Ukraine given the closure of Black Sea ports in that country.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Grain is leaving Ukraine through Black Sea ports. As of 19 March, more than 900 voyages carrying over 25 million tonnes of grain and other foodstuffs departed ports to deliver vital foodstuffs to Asia, Africa and Europe through the UK supported Black Sea Grain Initiative. The UK, along with G7 partners, has also supported increased exports of grain from Ukraine through land routes into Europe. Specifically the UK provided £10 million to bolster the Ukrainian railway system and provide greater resilience to facilitate the movement of grain by land exports.

Plants: Northern Ireland

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government which species of (1) plants, and (2) trees, will still be prohibited from import into Northern Ireland from Great Britain after the implementation of the Windsor Framework.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We have paved the way to remove bans on 11 native British and other commercially important plant species by the next planting season. These are the highest priority cases identified by industry itself, and we will begin to progress a further tranche of cases imminently, reflecting industry views. We will continue to engage intensively with industry to progress further cases wherever there is industry appetite, as the Windsor Framework has enabled.

UK Internal Trade: Northern Ireland

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the percentage of goods processed through the Green Lane entering Northern Ireland that will be routinely checked under the Windsor Framework; and what percentage of the routinely checked consignments will be done physically.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Trusted traders will face no routine physical checks on their goods moving in the green lane. The only physical checks completed will be risk-based and intelligence-led to target smuggling, criminality, abuse or specific risks to animal, plant or public health. For agrifood goods, we will also radically reduce the number of visual inspections done on consignments in the green lane - from 100 percent now to 5 percent by 2025.

Plants: Northern Ireland

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government what processes will be required to enable (1) plants, and (2) trees, that are allowed to be transported to Northern Ireland for end use to qualify for Green Lane movement under the Windsor Framework.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government will set out further details of the specific operational arrangements under the Windsor Framework in due course. But as set out in the Command Paper, instead of full EU certification, all plants and seeds, including seed potatoes, will move under the framework of the UK-wide plant passport scheme, in line with traders throughout the UK. That means rather than paying £150 per movement into Northern Ireland, growers and businesses serving Northern Irish consumers can pay £120 a year to be part of the UK scheme.

Mozambique: Armed Conflict

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of the (1) famine, and (2) security situation, in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: In northern Mozambique, the UN estimates 946,000 people are displaced and in need of humanitarian assistance. UK Aid has provided over £22 million in humanitarian support in Cabo Delgado, ensuring that people displaced by the crisis have access to food, water, shelter and basic health. The UK signed a Defence Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mozambique providing technical assistance and capacity building through our Defence Engagement programme. We have provided security and human rights training to over 200 Armed Forces personnel. We welcome progress by Mozambican defence and security forces to take back areas previously under insurgent control and will continue to work with the Government of Mozambique to build long term peace and stability.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Development Aid

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: To ask His Majesty's Government whatsupport they are providing to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in particular in the province of Kasai, in order (1) to strengthen its health system, and (2) to reduce the frequency of preventable deaths of mothers and children.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK has supported the health sector in Kasai province since 2013. Minister Mitchell visited the UK's bilateral health programme in Kasai on March 19. The programme supports implementation of The Democratic Republic of the Congo's policy on Universal Health Coverage by strengthening pillars of the national health system and increasing access to lifesaving reproductive, maternal and child health services (including nutrition and family planning).From 2017 to 2022 UK supported provinces increased childhood immunisation coverage from 63 percent to 90 percent, and the proportion of births attended by a skilled attendant from 83 percent to 99 percent. The prevalence of child malnutrition was halved over the same period.

World Water Day

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have tomark World Water Day on 22 March; and which minister will be attending the UN Water Conference from 22–24 March.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK has taken a leadership role at the first UN Water Conference in decades, which coincides with World Water Day, as co-chair of the interactive dialogue on water for health. Lord Goldsmith, the FCDO Minister of State with responsibility for Climate and Environment portfolios, opened the meeting and announced new support to strengthen Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) systems in up to five countries in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. This will prevent disease, protect people's health and safeguard the environment. It contributes to the UK government's commitment to end the preventable deaths of mothers, children and babies by 2030.

Horn of Africa: Migration

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recent trends in population migration in the Horn of Africa, given the famine in that region.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: Across East Africa levels of displacement are increasing due to the humanitarian impacts of conflict and climate change. For example, the International Organisation for Migration estimate that, in 2022, 2.8 million people were displaced by drought across Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia. Armed violence continues to cause significant displacement including of 2.2 million refugees from South Sudan who are currently hosted in the region.

Rwanda: Human Rights

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of journalists and human rights workers refused entry to Rwanda in the past three years; and what representations they have made to the government of that country to secure access to the country for such individuals.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: We regularly discuss a range of issues with the Government of Rwanda through our High Commission in Kigali and at Ministerial level. The UK Government recognises the progress still to be made on human rights in Rwanda and continues both to help the country build a more open political space and to support longer-term stability.

Developing Countries: Education

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to their reduction in UK Overseas Development Assistance to 0.5 per cent of gross national income, how they intend to achieve their target of having 40 million girls in primary and secondary school in low and middle income countries by 2026.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The FCDO is committed to ensuring 40 million more girls are in school and learning by 2026. Currently there is a global education crisis with 244 million children out of school. We therefore make significant investments through global funds to support delivery at scale to reach the 40 million target. We pledged £430 million to the Global Partnership for Education in 2021, and £80 million to Education Cannot Wait in February 2023. We run bilateral education programmes in 19 countries and our Girls' Education Challenge programme has given 1.6 million marginalised girls access to quality education.

Manufactured Goods: Northern Ireland

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of thepercentage of non Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) manufactured goods that are transported to Northern Ireland where (1) an end destination cannot be confirmed, and (2) the components are for companies in Northern Ireland for further processing.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Windsor Framework significantly expands the range of businesses who can benefit from the Green Lane. We are increasing the threshold for processing companies - quadrupling the current £500,000 limit up to £2 million, meaning four-fifths of manufacturing and processing companies in Northern Ireland who trade with Great Britain will automatically be in scope. Even if firms are above that threshold, they will be eligible to move goods under the scheme if they are for use in the animal feed, healthcare, construction and not-for-profit sectors. This includes businesses acting as intermediaries or selling on the eventual product, which is a significant improvement to the existing arrangements. And where traders cannot determine the end destination of their goods when first moving them into Northern Ireland, we will establish a new, comprehensive tariff reimbursement scheme for those who can show the goods were ultimately not destined for the EU.

UK Trade with EU

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government how a company can apply for Trusted Trader status under the provisions of the Windsor Framework.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government will set out further specific operational arrangements in due course. But it is important to note that the Windsor Framework significantly expands the range of businesses who can benefit from trusted trader status. Businesses throughout the United Kingdom will now be eligible - moving away from the previous restrictions that required a physical premises in Northern Ireland. Registration will be straightforward. Criteria for businesses to qualify includes basic record keeping of goods movements, a good compliance record, and no history of serious criminal offences related to their economic activity.

Home Office

Immigration Removal Centres

Baroness Adams of Craigielea: To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of how many new detention centres will be required in the event that the Illegal Migration Bill is enacted; and how many sites or locations they have identified for such centres so far.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: An economic impact assessment will be published for the Illegal Migration Bill in due course.

Passport Office: Industrial Disputes

Baroness Adams of Craigielea: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that people have access to a (1) new, or (2) renewed, passport during the period of five weeks of industrial action by Passport Office workers.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: His Majesty’s Passport Office are working to manage the impact of strike action, whilst ensuring they can continue to deliver vital services to the public, with comprehensive contingency plans in place.There are currently no plans to change our guidance which states that it takes up to ten weeks to get a passport.

Migration

Lord Green of Deddington: To ask His Majesty's Government what is their objective for net migration in (1) three years' time, and (2) five years' time.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: As the Prime Minister has said, the Government remains committed to reducing net migration over time, while ensuring we have the skills our economy needs to grow. The Government continues to keep the immigration system under review. Our immediate priority is getting a grip on illegal migration, to stop the abuse of our system and stop the boats making illegal, dangerous and unnecessary journeys across the Channel for the profits of criminal people smuggling gangs.

Immigration

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect of climate change on the level of future immigration into the UK.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: The Department considers a wide range of factors and trends, including the effects on climate change, when developing and implementing its migration policies.

Asylum

Lord Strasburger: To ask His Majesty's Government whatare the legal methods for refugees who are citizens of Somalia, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Eritrea, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Myanmar or the Democratic Republic of the Congo to apply for asylum in the UK when they are (1) living in the country of their citizenship, (2) living in a safe third country, or (3) living in an unsafe third country.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: Whilst we sympathise with people in many difficult situations around the world, we are not bound to consider asylum claims from the very large numbers of people overseas who might like to come here. Asylum is for people in danger in their home country. Those who need international protection should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach – that is the fastest route to safety. Between 2015 and December 2022, just under half a million people were offered safe and legal routes into the UK– including those from Hong Kong, Syria, Afghanistan, Ukraine as well as family members of refugees.This includes over 28,200 refugees resettled through the government’s refugee resettlement schemes. Our family reunion policy has also reunited many refugees with their family members; we have issued over 44,659 visas under our refugee family reunion Rules since 2015. The UK is one of the largest recipients of UNHCR referred refugees globally, second only to Sweden in Europe since 2015.The UK continues to welcome refugees and people in need through existing resettlement schemes which include the UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS), Community Sponsorship, the Mandate Resettlement Scheme and the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS).Further information on existing safe and legal routes is available below:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-and-borders-bill-safe-and-legal-routes-factsheet/nationality-and-borders-bill-factsheet-safe-and-legal-routes.

Schools: Blasphemy

Lord Godson: To ask His Majesty's Government whether the new blasphemy guidance beingdeveloped by the Home Office will be legally binding upon schools; how they are planning to make schools aware of their new responsibilities under this guidance; and how it will be enforced.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: In response to recent incidents, the Government has been repeatedly clear that there is no blasphemy law in Great Britain.There are currently no plans to develop new blasphemy guidance for schools.

Asylum: Children

Lord Touhig: To ask His Majesty's Government how many unaccompanied migrant children placed in hotels have gone missing in each of the last five years.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: The Home Office takes the wellbeing, welfare and security of children and minors in our care extremely seriously. Robust safeguarding procedures are in place to ensure all children and minors are safe and supported as we seek urgent placements with local authorities.As of 28.02.23 there were 410 missing episodes and on 224 of these occasions the young person was subsequently located.

Department for Business and Trade

Trade Agreements: USA

Lord Allen of Kensington: To ask His Majesty's Government whatprogress they have made in negotiating a free trade agreement with the United States of America; and when they expect an agreement to be reached.

Lord Johnson of Lainston: In 2020, the UK and US held five productive rounds of negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA).We remain ready to progress these discussions, but recognise that the US is not currently focused on FTAs with any country. In the meantime, we have done much to help grow our £279bn* of annual bilateral trade. In the last year, we’ve removed US tariffs on UK steel and aluminium and ended the US ban on UK lamb and beef exports. We’ve also been working closely on shared priorities identified at the recent UK-US Trade Dialogues – including digital trade and support for small and medium-sized enterprises. * Total UK-US trade (goods and services / exports plus imports) in 2022

Trade Barriers: Kazakhstan

Viscount Waverley: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the UK–Ukraine Digital Trade Agreement, what discussions they have had with the government of Kazakhstan regarding assistance in removing barriers to digital trade or signing a similar agreement.

Lord Johnson of Lainston: The UK continues to work to strengthen our trade and investment relationships with countries such as Kazakhstan. Fast growing economies such as Kazakhstan provide an abundance of opportunities for UK businesses across a wide range of sectors – notwithstanding our world leading digital sector.The Department for Business and Trade is supporting British business to grab these opportunities through trade dialogues and regular exchanges including the annual United Kingdom-Kazakhstan Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade and Investment that I co-chaired earlier this year in February in London.At this moment, we are not expecting to launch negotiations with Kazakhstan on a Digital Trade Agreement.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Councillors: Carer's Allowance

Baroness Scott of Needham Market: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish the total cost of dependent carer’s allowance payments to councillors who serve on local authorities in England.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: Publishing councillor allowances is a matter for local authorities.Individual authorities are required to publish the total sum of all councillor allowances, which includes the dependents' carers' allowance, every year as set out in The Local Authorities (Members' Allowances) (England) Regulations 2003.

Parish and Town Councils: Elections

The Earl of Lytton: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to raise public awareness of parish and town council elections taking place on 4 May.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: As has been the case under successive administrations, Principal Councils have the responsibility to post notices and deliver elections locally. The Electoral Commission also provides information and guidance to voters.

High Rise Flats: Fire Prevention

The Earl of Lytton: To ask His Majesty's Government why they made provision for an 18-month relaxation period in relation to non-combustible cavity barriers in external walls of buildings when making the Building etc. (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2022 (SI 2022/603) and publishing the Approved Document B 2019 edition incorporating 2020 and 2022 amendments, given that at the date of laying the regulations there were suitable non-combustible products readily available.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: On 1 June 2022, the Government published a response to a consultation following the review of the ban of combustible materials in and on the external walls of buildings. The consultation proposed a temporary 18-month relaxation of the ban as it relates to cavity trays. This followed from issues highlighted to officials on the excessive cost, supply (including of trained professional able to install these products) and installation of products on the market at the time. At the time we brought in the changes we considered it appropriate, on balance, to allow for a short-term exemption for combustible cavity trays as the risk they pose remains relatively low while providing temporary flexibility.The consultation response is available here.We will continue to review the impact of the ban including this short-term exemption and to work with industry to understand new products available on the market.Consultation response (docx, 54.4KB)

Meals on Wheels

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of how many people used a meals on wheels service in (1) 2018, (2) 2019, (3) 2020, (4) 2021, and (5) 2022.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: This information is not held centrally by the Department.

Energy Performance Certificates

Lord Truscott: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Scott of Bybrook on17 March (HL6130), what assessment they have made of the research conducted by CarbonLaceswhich found that Energy Performance Certificates overestimate energy use by 344 per cent.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: As set out previously, ministers keep the EPC system under review.

Property Development: Floods

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask His Majesty's Government howmany new residential properties have been constructed within Environment Agency flood zone 3 each year, since the financial year 2012/13.

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask His Majesty's Government whatproportion of new residential properties have been constructed within Environment Agency flood zone 3 for the most recent year that data are available, broken down by local planning authority area.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The percentages of new residential addresses created that have been within each of Environment Agency flood zones 3 and 2 in each financial year since 2012-13 are provided below. Figures for 2012-13 are not available on the same basis due to a change in land use change methodology which took effect from 2013-14.The most recent available percentages of new residential addresses created that have been within Environment Agency flood zone 3, broken down by local authority area are provided in the attached table.Financial yearProportion of new residential addresses created within Flood Zone 3 1 (Per cent)Proportion of new residential addresses created within Flood Zones 2 and 3 2 (Per cent) 2013-14710 2014-15811 2015-16811 2016-17811 2017-181013 2018-19811 2019-20913 2020-21711 2021-22710 Sources:   1 Live table 320: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/land-use-change-statistics-2021-to-2022 2 Using address data used to derive the land use change - new residential address statistics: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/land-use-change-statistics-2021-to-2022   Although National Flood Zone 2 is a stand-alone category, to be practically useful it is generally combined with National Flood Zone 3 to give a complete picture of areas at 0.1% or more risk of flooding in any given year. Therefore figures are provided for National Flood Zones 2 and 3 combined.

Housing: Construction

Lord Young of Cookham: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of their proposals contained in their consultationLevelling-up and Regeneration Bill: reforms to national planning policy, published on 22 December 2022, on their commitment to build 300,000 new homes a year.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: I refer my noble friend to the impact assessment for the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill here. Levelling Up Bill (pdf, 1910.7KB)

UK Shared Prosperity Fund: Northern Ireland

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that disability groups in Northern Ireland that are currently receiving funding from the European Social Fund will now receive funding from the Shared Prosperity Fund, andthat such arrangements are handled in a timely manner to ensure there is no gap in funding.

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government what money from the Shared Prosperity Fund has been allocated to disability groups in Northern Ireland; and what is the timetable for the delivery of that funding.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The economic inactivity competition closed on 27th January 2023, and we have received a strong and positive response from organisations across Northern Ireland seeking to deliver economic inactivity and Multiply support. We recognise the need for this important funding to be in place promptly as the European Social Fund support draws to a close in Northern Ireland.You will be aware that the overall approach to addressing economic inactivity set out in the UKSPF Investment Plan has been informed by discussions with local partners - representative groups from key sectors, including the voluntary and community sector, business, higher education, skills and local authorities, and engagement activity with a wide range of organisations including disability groups over the summer. I can confirm that we will publish information on the successful projects as soon as we are able.

Freeports

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish thegovernance arrangements they require from the freeports established in the UK.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have takento ensure that the governance boards of freeports publish the agendas and minutes of meetings on their websites on a regular basis.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to require the Governance Boards of (1) Plymouth and South Devon Freeport, (2) Freeport East, and (3) Liverpool City Region freeports, to publish theagendas and minutes of their meetings on their websites on a regular basis.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had withTeeside Freeport Governance Board about ensuring that all details of the agenda and minutes of board meetings are published on its website.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: English Freeports are required to have robust and effective governance structures in place to manage their operations and deliver on the policy objectives. These requirements are set out in the Full Business Case guidance on Gov.uk and following the submission of a full business case were subject to a thorough appraisal process by government. As part of full government approval, Freeports are required commit to these structures through the agreement of an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and provide evidence of their implementation and good functioning.Freeports governing bodies must adhere to the Seven Principles of Public Life (the Nolan principles) and commit to appropriate levels of transparency, propriety, and inclusivity with respect to governance. This includes but is not limited to the publication of board papers, minutes, and register of members' interests to ensure any actual or perceived conflicts of interest are recorded and managed appropriately.Government will monitor this through its performance management and assurance processes, formally set out in a document known as the Freeports Framework. This document sets out what is expected of local authorities and Freeport governing bodies in receipt of government funding and other support to provide UK government, stakeholders, and the public, with assurance that Freeports will be subject to vigorous stewardship and their benefits will be fully realised. More detail on this can be found in the Freeports Annual Report.Business Case guidance (pdf, 489.0KB)The Nolan principles (pdf, 104.1KB)Annual Report (pdf, 1154.9KB)

Travellers: Caravan Sites

Baroness Whitaker: To ask His Majesty's Government how many authorised Traveller sites in England are within 50 metres of (1) A-roads, (2) motorways, (3) sewage stations, (4) waste recycling centres, (5) industrial estates, and (6) railway lines.

Baroness Whitaker: To ask His Majesty's Government how many authorised Traveller sites have given rise to complaints to local authorities about (1) environmental pollution and degradation, and (2) vermin infestation.

Baroness Whitaker: To ask His Majesty's Government how many local authorities conduct regular pollution monitoring of (1) air, (2) noise, and (3) land, contamination on authorised Traveller sites.

Baroness Whitaker: To ask His Majesty's Government how many authorised Traveller sites are on contaminated land.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) does not hold data centrally on the location of authorised traveller sites. The Planning Policy for Traveller Sites states that Local Planning Authorities, when developing their Local Plan, should ensure that traveller sites are sustainable economically, socially and environmentally.Under the Local Air Quality Management Framework, as part of the Environment Act, all Local Authorities in England are required to assess air quality in their area.The Government does not hold centrally information on complaints for statutory nuisances. Section 78R of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 requires Local Authorities and the Environment Agency to keep a public register about contaminated land in their respective areas.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Vegetables: Imports

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the percentage of (1) tomatoes, (2) peas, (3) onions, and (4) carrots, consumed in England that were imported; and for each of those types of produce, what were the countries of origin of those imports.

Lord Benyon: For the UK in 2021, imports accounted for 83% of domestic consumption of fresh tomatoes, 8% of peas, 43% of onions, and 6% of carrots. Figures for England are not available as statistics on overseas trade cover the UK as a whole. For UK imports of tomatoes, the top three trading countries by volume were the Netherlands, Morocco, and Spain, out of 20 countries in total. For peas it was Guatemala, Peru and Kenya, out of 39 countries in total. For onions it was the Netherlands, Spain and Egypt out of 43 countries. For carrots Spain, the Netherlands, and Israel were the top three out of 28 countries in total.

Cereals

Lord McColl of Dulwich: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to adopt the definition of "wholegrain" developed by the Whole Grain Initiative.

Lord Benyon: There are no immediate plans to adopt a definition of wholegrain into law. Work to consider a definition for wholegrain has been added as part of the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) future work programme. Existing food labelling legislation ensures that the labelling and marketing of food does not mislead consumers.

Horticulture: Exports

The Lord Bishop of Exeter: To ask His Majesty's Government what was thetotal amount of exports from the horticultural sector in (1) 2018, (2) 2019, (3) 2020, (4) 2021, and (5) 2022.

Lord Benyon: Volume of Trade: UNITS= Thousand Tonnes  CALENDAR YEAR20182019202020212022Provision VEGETABLES:   Home Production Marketed (HPM)2,4682,5242,5992,5482,434  Imports2,2682,3562,2131,9782,043  Exports1451431086996  Total Supply:4,590.74,736.64,703.84,457.24,380.4  HPM as % of Total Supply53.853.355.357.255.6 FRUIT:   Home Production Marketed (HPM)731688657577646  Imports36613657356433273277  Exports1561621783738  Total Supply:4,235.24,183.74,043.43,867.23,885.3  HPM as % of Total Supply17.316.416.214.916.6 Value of Trade: UNITS = £ MillionCALENDAR YEAR20182019202020212022Provisional   TOTAL VEGETABLES: Veg Imports2,467.82,576.22,552.32,370.02,736.3   Veg Exports129.7129.3112.172.985.5   TOTAL FRUIT: Fruit Imports3,786.33,899.83,949.63,733.03,902.1   Fruit Exports156.2156.3185.462.664.1   GRAND TOTALS: Imports6,254.16,475.96,501.96,103.06,638.5   Exports286286297135150  * Trade figures relate to fresh produce where distinguishable. Value of Ornamental Horticulture Exports: UNITS £ Million  2018201920202021200252.75457.860.356.6

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Unit for Future Skills

Lord Watson of Wyre Forest: To ask His Majesty's Government whatmeetings (1) ministers, and (2) senior officials, at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have had with the Unit for Future Skills.

Lord Benyon: There have been no ministerial level meetings to date, but the Unit for Future Skills (UFS) has met Defra officials at a working level. The UFS also recently joined Government’s Green Jobs Delivery Group and will look to support this group to access data and insights on skills needs across green sectors.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Energy: Rented Housing

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that home energy efficiency targets are delivered in both the (1) private, and (2) social, rented sectors.

Lord Callanan: The Government is investing £6.6 billion over this Parliament on clean heat and improving energy efficiency in buildings, reducing our reliance on fossil fuel heating. In addition, £6 billion of new Government funding will be made available from 2025 to 2028.On March 22nd, The Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Wave 2.1 awarded £778 million of funding to support the installation of energy performance measures in social homes in England below EPC C, improving them up to that standard. Up to £630 million of grant funding will be awarded to local authorities for Phase 2 of the Home Upgrade Grant (HUG 2) to be delivered from April 2023 to March 2025. HUG 2 provides energy efficiency upgrades and low-carbon heating measures to low-income households living in the worst performing, off gas grid homes in England.

Carbon Emissions: Public Sector

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made towards reducing emissions from public sector buildings by 75 per cent by 2037, as set out in their Net Zero Strategy: Build Back Greener, published on 19 October 2021.

Lord Callanan: The most recent published national statistics on greenhouse gas emissions are for the year 2021. These show a 2% reduction in public sector emissions against a 2017 baseline. More detail on progress against Net Zero Strategy commitments will be published shortly.We are supporting the public sector to decarbonise and improve the energy efficiency of their buildings through:Committing £2.5 billion between 2020/21 and 2024/25 to the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, which provides grants for public sector bodies to fund heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency measures;Enabling the public sector to access the skills and expertise needed to plan heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency projects through the Public Sector Low Carbon Skills Fund;Producing guidance such as that published by the Modern Energy Partners programme led by Energy Systems Catapult.

Energy: Prices

Baroness Adams of Craigielea: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to provide access to affordable domestic energy for low-income customers.

Lord Callanan: The Government has set up a number of Energy Affordability Schemes to support low-income customers with energy prices such as Energy Bills Support Scheme and the Energy Price Guarantee which all households will benefit from. As announced in the Spring Budget, the Energy Price Guarantee has been extended at £2,500 for an additional three months to the end of June 2023 to further support households with energy bills. The Autumn Statement set out a commitment to work with consumer groups and industry to consider the best approach to consumer protection from April 2024. In addition, for 2023/24, households on eligible means-tested benefits will get up to £900 in Cost of Living payments. Pensioners will receive a £300 Pensioner Cost of Living Payment alongside their Winter Fuel Payment.  The Warm Home Discount will also provide £150 per eligible household for the financial year 2023/24.

Department for Transport

Active Travel

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the changes made to theirsecond Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy on 10 March, whether it is still their aim that half of all journeys in towns and cities will be cycled or walked by 2030.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Yes. The changes simply corrected a data error in a funding table and in no way affect the Government’s aim.

Road Traffic Offences: Mobile Phones

Lord Berkeley: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will consider specific penalties for drivers who are caught watching videos on their phones while driving.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: If a driver is watching a video on a hand-held mobile phone, this is an offence which attracts a fixed penalty notice of £200 and six penalty points. If the case goes to the magistrates court the maximum fine is £1,000 (or £2,500 for bus and lorry drivers).If a driver is watching a video on a mobile phone secured in a cradle, this is also an offence; the sanction is a £50 fixed penalty notice and a maximum fine of Level 3 on the standard scale if the case goes to court. There are also more general road traffic offences that the police can potentially use in cases where a driver is watching a video on a mobile phone in a cradle, for example, driving whilst not in proper control of the vehicle or driving without due care and attention.We keep offences and their penalties under review.

Department of Health and Social Care

HIV Infection: Prescription Drugs

Baroness Merron: To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to introducing a national onlinepre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) service to make it easier for HIV negative people at risk of getting HIV to obtain repeat prescriptions.

Baroness Merron: To ask His Majesty's Government when they will publish their pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) Action Plan.

Lord Markham: As part of the implementation of the HIV Action Plan, we are developing a plan to improve equitable access to human immunodeficiency (HIV) virus pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for key population groups and in settings outside of specialist sexual health services. Recommendations of the PrEP Access and Equity Task and Finish Group, including key stakeholder and delivery partners, are being considered by the HIV Action Plan Implementation Steering Group, and the plan will be made available in 2023.

Palantir: Databases

Baroness Merron: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to NHS England’s instruction to hospitals to use Palantir’s Faster Data Flows database, what safeguards they will put in place to protect patient privacy.

Lord Markham: All uses of data by the National Health Service must be ethical, for the public good, and comply with data protection law. This means there must always be a valid lawful basis for the collection and processing of personal information as defined under data protection legislation. Palantir only operates under the instruction of NHS England when processing data on the Foundry platform and does not have access to data, identifiable or otherwise, held within the Foundry platform instances licensed to NHS England nor are they permitted to use or share it for their own purposes. NHS England will only share de-identified data with internal NHS England data analysts, integrated care boards and the NHS Providers that provided the data. De-identification practices mean that personal identifiers are removed from datasets to protect patient confidentiality. This includes techniques such as aggregation, anonymisation, and pseudonymisation. The level of de-identification applied to data may vary based on user roles and requirements for accessing the data. This is in line with guidance from the Information Commissioner’s Office as well as the General Data Protection Regulation.

Palantir: Databases

Baroness Merron: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to NHS England’s instruction to hospitals to use Palantir’s Faster Data Flows database, what categories of patient data Palantir will have access to.

Lord Markham: Palantir does not have access to data, identifiable or otherwise, held within the Foundry platform instances licensed to NHS England. Foundry, which is the platform used for Faster Data Flows, is a ‘Software as a Service’ platform licenced to NHS England as a product and integrated into NHS England systems. The National Health Service always remains the data controller and only NHS organisations have access to the data and otherwise determine access rights.

Integrated Care Boards: Pay

Lord Scriven: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Markham on 7 February (HL4741), what criteria they used to decide whether to approve the salaries for Integrated Care Boards (ICB) Chief Executives in (1) Humber Coast and Vale, (2) South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw, and (3) Cornwall and Isles of Scilly; and why these Chief Executives were thought to justify higher salaries than other ICB Chief Executives.

Lord Markham: The criteria, as per the agreed pay framework, used to approve the salaries for the aforementioned integrated care board Chief Executives were geographical scale and complexity; stakeholder footprint and complexity; and systems complexity, including where any associated trusts are in financial and quality special measures. For these three chief executive roles these attributes were judged to be of an exceptional nature and, therefore, higher rates of pay were supported by Ministers.

Genito-urinary Medicine: HIV Infection

Baroness Merron: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have madeof the impact of HIV prevalence on the difficulties in booking a sexual health clinic appointment online or by telephone; and what steps they are taking to improve ease of access.

Lord Markham: No formal assessment has been made of linkages between the availability of sexual health service appointments and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevalence in local areas. As part of the HIV Action Plan, the Government and NHS England committed £20 million over three years in 2022 to 2025, to expand HIV opt-out testing in emergency departments in areas with extremely high HIV prevalence. In the first 100 days of opt out HIV testing, NHS England found nearly 200 people with undiagnosed or untreated HIV. Local authorities in England are responsible for commissioning open access sexual and reproductive health services, including HIV testing, through the Public Health Grant, funded at £3.5 billion in 2023/24.  It is for individual local authorities to decide their spending priorities based on an assessment of local need and to commission the service lines that best suit their population, including access to HIV testing.

Palantir: Databases

Baroness Merron: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the legal and reputational risks of NHS England’s decision to instruct hospitals to use Palantir’s Faster Data Flows database.

Lord Markham: The Faster Data Flows pilot makes use of data infrastructure (Data Management Platform Services) already procured by NHS England. The pilot aims to collect data already submitted via legacy collection systems with an aim to reduce data latency and will not collect any data from providers which they are not already asked to provide. The General Data Protection Regulation requires a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) to be completed by a data controller to demonstrate how they will comply with data protection law and in doing so identify and minimise data protection risks. NHS England and NHS Digital, as they existed separately at the relevant time, have produced DPIAs for the Faster Data Flows pilot.

Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access: Life Sciences

Lord Warner: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Markham of 14 February (HL5163), whether they will undertake a comparison of the impact of the UK's rebate rates in the voluntary scheme for branded medicines with the more favourable rebates in other European countries, given their declared ambitions for the UK life sciences sector.

Lord Markham: We have no plans to undertake such a comparison. Differences in the structure of medicine pricing policies and systems make direct comparisons of payment percentages or rebates with other countries difficult and potentially misleading. The Government is open to ideas about how a successor to the voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing and access should operate from 2024 onwards. We will be considering a range of factors and will work with industry to consider learning from approaches in the United Kingdom and internationally, to agree a mutually beneficial successor that supports better patient outcomes; ensures the sustainability of National Health Service spend on branded medicines; and enables a strong UK life sciences industry.